life lessons

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Study Skills and Homework…really?!

Like any important life skill, studying must be taught and practiced.  There was much discussion in one classroom I visited today on this very topic in fact!  Students had much advice to offer, so here are some reminders to help all of us with our study habits and homework (taken from some experts, our learners!):

  1. Work on the harder stuff first, like math or writing.  You have more brain power then.  🙂
  2. Use the planner and write it all down.  Who can remember everything at once?  🙂
  3. Mom has an special area we use for studying and homework now–it has paper, pencils, index cards, and other supplies we might need to finish our work–we have six kids, you know.  🙂
  4. Stay organized and know what you need to finish your work.  🙂
  5. A really good snack helps me study more.  🙂
  6. I have to “teach” the lesson to dad when he gets home.  I better be ready so he learns it!  🙂
  7. Cooking, reading, playing bingo or other games with my weekly words keeps me sharp.  🙂
  8. I’m given some play time first and then it’s time to settle down to work.  🙂
  9. Mom and dad read when we read; it’s a rule at home.  🙂
  10. No texting or TVs on when I study; grammy means it!  🙂

Here are some ideas our teachers share with parents:

  • Set a good example; allow your child to see you reading, writing, figuring problems, etc.
  • Look over homework assignments and make yourself available to help if needed.
  • Communicate how important school and education are in life.
  • Have high expectations and expect your child’s personal best always.
  • Invite your child to teach you a concept or new information being studied in class; we learn best when we teach someone else the idea.
  • Keep informed about grades and school progress; attend school conferences and participate in school activities teaching you how to work with your child.  Communicate and collaborate regularly with your child’s teacher(s).

Remember, you are your child’s first and most important teacher.  You are our partners and participating members of our learning community!  We always invite your suggestions, your triumphs, and your concerns, so let us know how we can best serve your child and you during this educational journey.  Study skills and homework are ongoing during the academic year…it’s a blessing to know we have some REALLY great ideas to help us!

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Setting goals…it’s a valuable life tool.

It’s the time of year before school starts when educators set goals for the coming year.  We plan, prepare, discuss, share, collaborate, and communicate goals.  Teaching our learners how to set short-term and long-term goals helps them learn valuable life skills needed to become responsible citizens one day.  I was fortunate enough today to visit with a group of teachers who had this to share about goal-setting:

  1. Set goals easily reached at first because having success will encourage each learner to continue.
  2. Break more challenging goals into small steps so progress is made each day or week.
  3. Create a step-by step plan for reaching goals and focus on only one or two at a time.
  4. Support the learner with great encouragement and belief.
  5. Continue to have high but reasonable expectations as each learner carries through the goal.
  6. Be flexible and willing to adapt a goal if something unexpected occurs.

A couple of things I might add to their list from my perspective:

  • Children need to know failure is a part of the overall process of success; it’s really okay to fail as long as you learn from the failure and push forward to keep trying (this is tough for a recovering perfectionist like me).
  • Be a great role model by talking about goals reached, acting responsibly when goals are not met, and discussing what can be done better next time (this is something Mrs. Bass and I really work on during discipline interventions).

As we get our year started at LME, we’ll be sharing these and many other thoughts in actions with our learners.  We have a series of daily pep rallies and team huddles planned to actively demonstrate our campus expectations.  Let’s get ready to rally because…Every Day Is Game Day at LME!

Note:  Our first day of new student registration went well.  Let’s get those first-day enrollment forms filled out online!